Outstanding. That’s how I would describe this kit, its value, and performance. In a nutshell, PFran is a guy on IH8MUD that has sourced parts and sells complete vehicle-specific LED kits as well as individual components. And his prices are VERY reasonable.He has gone to great lengths to make sure the parts match in color (because most of us are OCD to some degree), and are high-quality. His products may be found here www.pfranleds.com. Be sure to visit his fitment guide for your particular vehicle, it will save you time. He is also expanding into other specialty products like CV clamps, so keep an eye on the website for new products to show up.
What drove me to this upgrade is I had the middle dome light bulb go out. And anyone that knows the 80 series, the 93 – 94 only had 2 dome lights where the later models added a 3rd, and even courtesy lights in the doors (all of which have a “kit” from PFran). So, having to routinely remove 2 kids from the middle row, and our gear, and now relying on only the 2 terrible stock lights to see, it was time. Not that I hadn’t flagged this upgrade as something I wanted to do anyways, this light failing accelerated the progress.
What’s In the Kit?
I chose “FZJ80 Kit 1“. This includes a map light, 2 dome lights, and the respective adapters to replace the bulbs. I also added a set of 7W CREE Q5 LED Backup Lights because, well, the stock lights are terrible on my rig. I also added a few sets of T-Base 10 LED bulbs which replace the 194 series bulbs on your rig. marker lights, license plate lights, etc. basically the non-blinky ones. There is some benefit to reading as these come in pairs, and I now have quite a few trail spares. Here are some pics I took directly from PFran’s website to illustrate the exact parts I am talking about.
Installation
Well, nothing to even write up. Pop off the light covers, install the LED adapter, remove the double sided tape, stick on, replace light cover. Yep, that’s it. Takes about 10 minutes* to install the 2 dome lights and front map light.
*Optional Installation
Now, the optional installation includes doing this at 7p in the dark with a bad flashlight, shorting out one of the dome the circuits by placing a screwdriver across the terminals, then finding the right fuse block AND a spare fuse. After completing the tasks above in whatever order you like, you may proceed with the installation step as outlined above, from wherever you decided to diverge. As you may have guessed already, I chose the optional installation.
Performance
I performed this upgrade at night. My neighbor came outside as I finished and thought I had a work light inside the truck. I did not, I just had the door open. This kit is quite simply what every single vehicle should have installed from the factory. The light, although very bright, is the right color to allow for excellent visibility and illumination of the vehicles interior.
Daddy, the light is in my eyes!
As I said, I also added some reverse light LED’s as well as some other exterior LED. The reverse lights are outstanding. I can tell you that with the stock reverse lights I often wondered if they were even working. The 7W CREE are excellent in that they throw off a good spread, but are still subtle enough to not blind anyone camping nearby. The marker lights look good, nothing too different, but I like the clearer light and lower power draw the LED’s offer.
Final Thoughts
I would recommend this kit to every FZJ80 owner. And given the parts appear consistent across all kits, I don’t think anyone could go wrong in buying one for whatever vehicle you have. If you need more light, and most of us do, this is a great place to start!